J. Frank Norfleet

Stoke it! JFN

Hey everyone, Re-read the USPSA rule above. The IDPA rules have "cover the trigger guard." That to me leaves a lot to interpretation. Why do they want to cover the trigger guard? So no one can activate the trigger. USPSA is a lot clearer when it says, " . . . completely prevent access to, or activation of, the trigger while holstered." That wording saves a lot of grief when dealing with anal people. JFN

USPSA rules 5.2.7.4 "A holster which does not completely prevent access to, or activation of, the trigger while holstered." Tell me how this Mernickle holster doesn't meet the USPSA requirements. Untitled.pdf

Now that is the brutal truth. JFN

Come to NM in April. It is NOT a SASS sanctioned match.

Says effective January 1, 2024.

Since this is on the CAS side it ought to be here too. JFN files.constantcontact.com:.webloc

Match was beyond excellent! I haven't shot a warmup in over 10 years. But with 4 stages of DB and TR run with the warmup, I signed up for TR and had a blast. JFN

I didn't include Lady or Youth categories because they weren't a large enough sample to illustrate the age differences between Europe and the US shooters. But I did dig out some other interesting information. The Arizona Rough Riders match is the only one that is still in the same venue after all these years, first as Winter Range and now as EoT. I don't think going from a National Championship to a World Championship harmed them. It is still the same match just a different name. So here is how their numbers break out before 2020/2021 and after. I got the WR numbers from the Cowboy Chronicle and the recent EoT numbers from their scores. Cowboy shooters WB shooters WR 2018 756 125 WR 2019 756 125 WR 2020 661 125 Covid bomb hit EoT 2021 Shot in Indiana EoT 2022 681 142 EoT 2023 657 142 From the addition of the first WB match to WR until 2020, the number of WB shooters was limited to 125 shooters. Larson Pettifogger states this in his July, 2018, article in the Cowboy Chronicle. Beginning in 2022, more WB shooters were allowed to enter. I don't know where the upper limit is set. But what I can see by comparing 2018/19 to 2022/23, is that the Ben Avery venue lost roughly 10% of their cowboy shooters while the number of WB shooters went up roughly 10%. Why is SASS focused on increasing the number of WB shooters? Are they loosing cowboy shooters? JFN

FJT, Been thinking about your email to the ambassadors and this thread here. Since you said much more in the email than in your posts here I'm going to quote some of it. "I hope that I made it clear; the significant number of shooters at Days of Truth who were participating in the WB match weren’t WB shooters grudgingly engaging in a Cowboy match; these are cowboy shooters who wanted to play a bit more, with different guns. That is an audience to consider, if we truly want to help Wild Bunch to survive, thrive and grow. As we struggle to find the heart and soul of what the heck IS Wild Bunch, the Europeans seem to have come down firmly on one side. As FB said, if they don't end the day with a smile, they won't come back. The European match directors seemingly want Cowboy shooters to join. Judging from the enthusiastic number of new and returning participants, they are. So, that’s how they pitch their matches. They are not just catering to, as Frenchie Boy says, the top 10% of WB shooters. Those shooters are going to win, no matter what match you put in front of them." You also stated, "The WB match that I shot, (and, believe me I asked!) and indeed, most European WB matches, are pitched at cowboys. So, they are cowboy matches, but with a greater degree of difficulty. But they are not precision pistol matches. The result is not what I would call “dumbing down” the nature of WB, because the match I shot was still a great match, and the best shooters out there won. But it allowed a wide variety of shooters to participate, and have fun." In your email you point out that the WB and Cowboy match use the basically the same steel with different scenarios. That is really what the Arizona Rough Riders do. Cowboy stages are written and the WB stages are written on top of them with some steel added and some moved. The WB match at EoT and formerly Winter Range has always been well attended. I signed up for my first WB match there in 2013, I didn't get to go because the WB match had sold out. I have never known them to not limit the number of WB shooters. I do agree the closer steel attracts more WB shooters; i.e. Winter Range would sell out and EoT in NM didn't. I think that there is a bigger reason that DoT had 40% of its cowboy shooters shoot WB. Look no farther than demographics. United States SASS members and WB shooters are aging. So here's how the demographics break down for most recent matches for Days of Truth, End of Trail & Land Run. (I included Land Run but I don't think that 2022 ia a good sample because it was the first year and the problems just prior to the match. In three weeks we will have a much better idea of how the age categories break out.) So look carefully at the flipflop in numbers in the 4 main age categories for DoT and EoT. DoT EoT LR Modern 47 28 27 Sr. Mod. 16 46 25 Trad. 39 18 15 Sr. Trad. 10 18 12 I don't know how much age differential there is to have that much of a swing between those below 65 and those 65+ at DoT and EoT. I'm guessing that at least 10 years and more like 15 to 20 years. European SASS must have a much younger shooter base. We have all noted that the average age of SASS members has gone up. And I have dealt with my share of shooters that have simply gotten too old to safely run a 1911. Maybe Misty could run the numbers on shooter ages; today vs 10, 15 & 20 years ago. I think the answer to your question is simply, in the US, SASS shooters are much older. JFN

My bullets cast from clip on wheel weights drop at 228 to 230 gr bullets. I sort out stick on wheel weights since they are generally pure lead. I mix them 3 lb to 1 lb Linotype. I only powder coat 9 mm since I couldn't get the tumble lube 9 mm bullets to stop leading. I tumble lube the 45 and .41 bullets because it is quick and easy. JFN

Got the official word. The match is Friday, October 20th through Sunday, October 22nd. Friday will be for side matches and 10 stages on Saturday and Sunday. Good catch ya all! JFN

Well dang! I just looked at the entry form and never looked at a calendar. The entry form says 20-23, that's four days and the 23rd is a Monday. I don't think that is what was intended. I understood it was Friday through Sunday, which would be the 20th through the 22nd. I'll chase down Lady Jane and get the official answer. JFN

We'll start with side matches on Friday and wrap up with awards on Sunday. October 20th through 23rd. JFN

It was a cocked rifle.